Nick Fradiani.Photo:Ethan Miller/Getty
Ethan Miller/Getty
Broadway has a newNeil Diamond.
Nick Fradiani— the singer and actor who won the 14th season ofAmerican Idolin 2015 — will step into the shoes of the legendary musician inA Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical,producers announced Thursday.
The biomusical, now open at the Broadhurst Theatre in New York City, chronicles the life of Diamond through many of the top 40 hits in his catalogue, including songs like “Crunchy Granola Suite,” “Cracklin Rosie,” “Song Sung Blue,” “Cherry, Cherry” and, of course, “Sweet Caroline.”
Swenson has been withA Beautiful Noisethrough its transfer to Broadway, where it opened in December 2022. His last performance in the show will be Sunday, Oct. 29.
Fradiani will take over the role beginning Tuesday, Oct. 31.
Nick Fradiani as Neil Diamond in ‘A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical’.Julieta Cervantes
Julieta Cervantes
It won’t be his first time playing Diamond. Fradiani has also been withA Beautiful Noisesince the show’s world premiere, as Swenson’s alternate. The show marks the Guilford, Connecticut native’s Broadway debut.
“Neil Diamond’s music was a huge part of my childhood,” Fradiani, 37, said in a statement. “I grew up with my father performing his songs, and even taking me to see Neil as my first concert.”
“To have the opportunity to take over the role…inA Beautiful Noiseon Broadway is truly an honor,” he continued. “I have seen firsthand the love, passion and excitement the audience has brought to our theater over the past year, and I’m so lucky to continue being a part of this beautiful story.”
Nick Fradiani, director Michael Mayer, Neil Diamond and Will Swenson.Bruce Glikas/WireImage
Bruce Glikas/WireImage
Katie McNeil Diamond and Neil Diamond at the Broadway opening night of ‘A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical’ in 2022.Image Press/Shutterstock
Image Press/Shutterstock
As he writes in the show’sPlaybill:“Sitting in the theater and watching the show has itself been therapeutic; reliving some joyful and some of the painful parts of my life, wishing perhaps that if I could only make a few edits to the script, it would change some of the reality of what I was seeing.”
He added, “But in the end, coming to terms with my life and accepting it has somehow come full circle. I feel fortunate and full of gratitude for all the people in my life. It is each of them who have impacted and shaped me in their own way to get me to the place where I am now … a better man. A better father. A better husband. A better songwriter.”
Diamond has sold over 130 million albums worldwide over his five decade career and received a slew of accolades including multiple Grammys, the prestigious Kennedy Center Award and membership in both the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Will Swenson in ‘A Beautiful Noise’.Julieta Cervantes
Back in May, Swenson told PEOPLE about building a friendship with Diamond and his wife Katie McNeil over the years.
“The fact that I sort of know him as a person, and I’ve continued to text message with him and his wife, and they invited me to their house before opening to give me an opening night present. It seems absolutely crazy,” the actor, 50, said.
“My dad’s going nuts. He calls me three times a week to just… ‘How’s it going? Has Neil called you?’ I was able to introduce my dad to Neil on opening night, and my dad’s 86, and he said, ‘This was the best day of my life.’ "
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Portraying him on stage eight times a week has also taught him a thing or two about life.
“I think what I have learned from Neil is that it’s about the joy of performing and the process of doing it,” Swenson said. “And if you go up there looking for an award or a certain review, you might be disappointed, but that’s not what’s important.”
“What’s important is every night in this theater, we have 1,100 people screaming at the end of the night, having had a really good night in the theater. That’s the lesson that I’m trying to learn, is that that is all the fulfillment that matters.”
Tickets forA Beautiful Noiseare on sale now.
source: people.com
